Helga Comes Home
by Katikinzz
Summary: What happens when Helga awakens from a coma after five years? A story of hard truths, love, and deceit. Enjoy! and review. Updates soon to come.
1. Chapter 1

"Helga!" A voice calls out. I turn around and I see Arnold yelling out my name. I am all of a sudden taken over by happiness. He's talking to me. He is actually talking to me. My heart flutters and I cannot help but to sigh. He leans forward, his face meeting mine. My love, my everything, oh how I have waited for this moment. But, no, there are people around, I will not let them see my affection for this beautiful football headed angel. I step back and let my scowl return to my face. I clench one of my hands into a fist and use the other to slap him, his warm skin somehow causing my heart some sort of joy.

"What was that for?" He asks. All of a sudden, I am full of guilt and regret. I don't want to hurt him. I really don't. After all, I LOVE HIM. I just don't want him to know that. But wait, what if I turned this around on him.

"Listen football head. I don't know what you're playing at here. But I don't want to kiss you." Oh what am I kidding? Yes I do. I Do. WITH ALL MY HEART! "That's just gross."

The kids in the classroom start laughing and chanting things at him. I smile proudly. It's good to have people who know what to do on command.

"I was just trying to get my books behind you, Helga." He says calmly, not even paying attention to the people behind him.

"Whatever you say… Although even if I am wrong, who can blame me? Your head is just so large." I laugh. Good cover up. That could have been bad. I hear someone else call my name. I turn to face the class and yell, "What?"

No one answers. Oh whatever, probably just hearing things again. I rub my ear; it's probably nothing more than that ringing I sometimes get in my ear. So, I'm looking round the room now. Everyone is staring at me. This is not a good sign. They're not laughing so much as just softly chuckling.

"Helga, are you okay?" Phoebe asks. I nod my head and laugh. "Yeah, just hearing things, it happens."

Everyone goes back to doing their work and I walk to my seat. The door opens and Mr. Simmons walks in. He begins asking questions, all of which Phoebe answers, of course.

Rhonda turns to Nadine and starts talking about their plans later: Something boring about clothes and new boots, until Nadine tries to talk about bugs. Yuck! Harold is complaining to Stinky that he's hungry. What is that noise? I turn my head around and sure enough there is Brainy breathing on my neck again. God! I just cannot get a break can I?

Class is boring. As usual. It isn't until recess finally starts that it at least gets a little interesting. Arnold and Gerald go around and ask people if they want to play a nice game of kickball. I agree. I mean why not. The chance to possibly be on the same team as the boy whom I oh so longingly adore. I watch him struggle to get Stinky, Sid etc. away from Lila and her "adorably funny" stories. They agree to play although Lila believes that the game is too "violent" to play. Wimp. She agreed to watch. I guess it's all for the best. She probably couldn't even kick the ball. Haha. It's funny just to think about.

We pick teams. Harold and Gerald are the captains. Naturally I have to be on Harold's team and Arnold is my opponent. Ah well. Let the ridicule begin. Sometimes it just seems boring after a while ya know, making fun of Arnold. I just wish he knew, it would be so much easier if Arnold could just know how much I adore him. His blonde hair flowing in the wind, with nothing keeping it back but the adorable blue hat that barely escaped my clutches.

"Alright, Hair Boy, your team goes first." I yell out. Gerald kicks it far but only enough to get to one base. Next up, Stinky. He kicks it high and lucky for us, Sid grabs it mid-air. "We play recess rules. One out per inning. That means we're up. Got it fat boy." I say to Harold.

Of course, the clumsy oaf doesn't even kick it the first time. Or the second. Finally on the third kick he is out. "Great going."

Eugene is next to kick. Oh boy, this ought to be good. "Haha Eugene. You couldn't kick a wall if it was right in front of ya."

The entire team starts laughing with me. I mean c'mon. Eugene. Hit a ball? No way. Hang on. What is that? OH MY GOD.

...

...

...

...

...

I wake up and Mr. Simmons is looking at me. He looks the same but i know there is something not so right here.


	2. Chapter 2

I look at Mr. Simmons for a good moment or two before switching my glances around the room. "Where am I? This isn't the playground." I hear crying in the corner. Sure enough, there is Miriam in the corner… smiling and crying tears of joy…? Okay. Something is definitely wrong here. I sit up but Mr. Simmons gestures for me to lay back down. I swat away his hand and I stare at Miriam.

"No, darling, it's not. You're not at the playground anymore." She smiled through her tears and it's weird. For the first time ever, she does not seem intoxicated. Am I in a hospital? I look around more. Sure enough, I am fashioning a polka dotted gown and there is a plain white blanket covering my legs. On top of that one are two larger pink blankets. I look to my left, there's a nightstand, and flowers. Why are there flowers? And why are they almost dead?

"Oh. Wow. Eugene must have hit me harder than I thought."

"Who?" Mr. Simmons asks. In the heat of the moment I had actually forgotten he was there. When I turn to him I notice his attire is not his normal white t-shirt and green sweater vest. Instead he is decked out in white doctor's robes. I don't know what kind of trick they are trying to play, but it's not funny.

"Oh I see. Harold must have put you up to this."

"Is she okay? Is she back?" Big Bob asks. He is actually hugging Miriam. This isn't right. I'm dreaming. I take my hand and I slap myself in the face trying to wake myself up. The three of them lunge toward me as if I had done something drastic.

"She is going to need to go in for some sort of psychoanalysis." Mr. (well I guess Dr.) Simmons says.

There's a knock on the door and some woman with curly red hair comes in.

"Oh Phoebe, good you're here." Mr. Simmons practically applauses. That's not Phoebe though. Probably just a coincidence. "Can you bring these papers to the front desk for me?"

"Bringing!" A cheerfully soft voice chirps. She definitely sounds like MY Phoebe. She starts to walk out of the room but as soon as she reaches the door she stops and turns. "Also, Helga's visitor is here. "

"Who did they send this week?" Mr. Simmons asks.

"I believe it's Arnold this time."

"Okay. I'm going to give Helga some time alone with her parents first." Mr. Simmons says. Phoebe nods and they walk out.

Miriam rushes towards me as if she were a normal mother and I just escaped death. She hugs me tightly and I sit there awkwardly patting her back. I want to assure her that it's okay, even though I have absolutely no clue what is going on. I figure as long as I speed up whatever it is that's going on here, the faster I get to see Arnold. I can't believe that he is visiting me. He is actually visiting me.

"Baby, we thought we lost you." Miriam holds my shoulders and looks into my eyes. I stare back, just completely confused.

"It was just a kickball."

"Oh, no, baby, I don't think you remember what happened."

"What are you talking about?"

"It was your first day of preschool. Your father and I had just sat down because Olga was begging us to listen to her piano piece AGAIN. She wasn't very good back then. We had tried telling her that we needed to go, but every time we started to leave she began to throw a tantrum. You had to walk to the bus alone. And I am so sorry for that. I ran to the door and I saw you board the bus. Ignoring Olga, I ran out to the street, but I was too late. I jumped into the car and tried to follow the bus. You got off at the wrong stop because when I caught up to the bus about 4 stops later, you were gone. From what I hear, you had crossed the street to preschool and some little boy had offered his umbrella. A little girl had found your lunch box back on the other side of the street. When you went to get it, you forgot to look both ways and you were hit by a car. You've been in an on and off coma ever since. You were never quite you though, you always thought you were somewhere else. This is the first time that you have acknowledged that you were in a different location." Miriam tells me. I hear the story but it's not what I remember.

"I always remembered it as you guys favoring Olga because she was perfect. A concert pianist at 15."

"Her concert was nothing more than a high school band concert."

"But the spelling bees…"

"She won one spelling bee. She must have about six or seven trophies for effort."

"Where am i?"

"Hillsdale home for the Mentally Ill."

"I don't believe any of this. How do I get out?"

"Helga, baby. No. It's okay."

"No it's not, Miriam. I am trapped inside a Mental Hospital. I want to get out. I need to see my friends." I yell. Then I remember. "I need to see Arnold."

"If that's what you really want." Miriam leaves with Big Bob staring through the small glass window to the outside. After a minute he too, exits the room.

Someone calls Arnolds name and he responds, his footsteps trailing on the tile floor. It really is a relief to hear Arnold's voice after all this time. And to see his face again, oooo. I see his sleeve enter the doorway first. Then his pant leg and then OH MY GOD!


	3. Chapter 3

My heart beat raced as I awaited my love to walk in. I notice the TV is on and I hear the voice of Dino Spumoni. They still play that guy? I am remembered of Arnold's short relationship with him. Maybe I've been sent to an alternate universe. One where my parents are nice, my sister is below average, and Mr. Simmons is actually a doctor.

(I am switching persons. It is easier to stay true to the character in 3rd person instead of first)

She looks around the room, fashioning her signature scowl. The door opens slowly, Arnold walks in cautiously, not wanting to disturb her. He stares at her with immediate recognition. He looks at the door and shuts it quietly behind him. When he looks at her more closely he smiles. She's awake. It was always more interesting when she was awake. Instead of telling her stories, he was able to make his own. It scarred him for five years, watching her get hit by the car. He blamed himself. He had no reason to, but he always felt as if he could have stopped it.

While Arnold tries hard to enter the room quietly, Helga is on her bed doing a great job of keeping quiet as well. She is speechless. The person before her is not the boy that she grew up teasing. He is not the same kid that she fell in love with. There is no doubt in her mind that he is not somewhat attractive to her, but he is just different. "Who are you?" She stammers.

"Helga, it's me. Arnold." He says, still smiling. His outfit is weird. Instead of the normal red flannel and blue sweater, Arnold is wearing a short sleeve green shirt and a blue sweatshirt on top. His hair is still long but it falls beneath his ears. Luckily for Helga, he is still fashioning his blue cap, which is the only thing that Helga can use to recognize him.

"I'm sorry, you just look different." Helga explains.

"I know. You used to draw pictures. And at some point you used to call me, what was it?" Arnold chuckles thinking of the name.

"Football head?" Helga suggests.

"Oh yeah. That's right." Arnold laughs. "It's weird actually talking to you."

"Wait. What do you normally do?"

"Well Mr. Simmons, (not Dr. Simmons. This will be explained later) has an extra credit thing where we come and tell you stories, so that you don't miss out on 'the pleasure of learning.' I feel bad about that first day of preschool, so I come the most often. I basically tell you stories about what happens at school. Like on Valentine's Day when I got a visit from my friend Cecile. I had to keep switching restaurants between her and Ruth." Arnold laughs. "It was awful."

Helga is remembered of her own Valentine's Day: One where she is Cecile and she wrote the invitation for him. It was the first day that she actually felt that Arnold could like her. Then the real Cecile came over and Helga left in panic.

"You seem weird today. There have been times when you would wake up and start talking to me as if it was normal. But today, you actually just seem, I don't know how to explain it."

"Me neither." Helga fights back the urge to call him football head. His voice is the same but he looks almost nothing like himself. Still she thinks about what she said. Her Arnold never lied to her, so why should this one. She decides to play along. "Maybe I'm finally back."

"Oh, well in that case, why do you call me football head?" He asks. He is leaning forward in his chair, an action that Helga could not imagine him doing beforehand.

Instead of explaining it, after all she thought it was self-explanatory, Helga asks for paper and a pencil. He reaches inside his backpack and grabs some out. Lucky for Helga, he has an extra notebook where almost all of the pages are blank. Helga takes the pencil in her hand and hopes that somehow her artistic abilities somehow transferred over. She attempts to draw what he looked like but it comes out incredibly cartoonish. She laughs and shows him the picture. Arnold's eyes open wide and he lets out a chuckle. "Is that me? I look like a cartoon character."

"I did the best I could!" Helga yells.

"Hey." Arnold says semi-angrily. "I was just kidding."

"Sorry. Old habits." Helga explains. "Can you tell me more about what it's like here? Tell me about the kids at school. Like Rhonda."

"Well Rhonda is this girl with Dark hair who is just obsessed with being rich and having money, she can be really mean. Deep down though, she actually isn't that bad. There's also Harold who is just about the opposite. He doesn't' care about his looks and he is the school bully. Sometimes he really bugs me..." Arnold says. Helga thinks back to what her life was like, for the most part the two lives seem insanely similar, but she remembers being the one who put people like Rhonda and Harold into their place. She never really let them become bullies. Everything is just really messed up without her. "… he's just happy all the time but bad things happen to him quite a bit."

"I have to go back." Helga interrupts.

"What?"

"I have to go back to school. Everything is going to be chaotic.

Arnold thinks briefly about it, but he comes up with his own opinion. "You're right. Hang on."

Arnold leaves the room and comes back in a couple of minutes. With him is a tall slender woman with brown hair and a smile that lights up the room. Helga recognizes her as Dr. Bliss. One of the few people that she remembers as being normal.

"They agreed. After talking with your mom, I guess they think that you might be okay." Arnold smiles. "They just want the psychiatrist to agree to it first."

Helga's grin expands. "I'm going back."

also just a quick reminder that everyone should check out the save the jungle movie fan pagknob Facebook. If you haven't already, sign the petition. The goal of 15,000 has been reached (congratulations) but having more could only help. Thank you for reading. Sorry I didn't post this as soon as I said (family tragedy). But ya know as Eugene says... "Keep your sunny side up." And again thank you all soo much. :)


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Helga went in to her appointment with Dr. Bliss. Somehow the room looked just like the one she had remembered. Her seat was in the same place and she took almost hesitation in sitting in it. Dr. Bliss sits in the chair opposite Helga's. "I'm pleasantly surprised that you picked the same chair as last time."

"Yeah. I guess." Helga says trying to keep up the innocent act. The way that her parents finally seemed proud of her made her realize just how much she needed them to really like her. Although she knew that it was going to be hard, she was determined to be nicer. In this world, Arnold likes her, there is no way that she would give that up.

"So. What's new?" Dr. Bliss asks, not particularly sure what you say to someone in Helga's position.

"Well. Ya know, just realized that I've apparently lived in a fantasy world my entire life." Helga says sarcastically. "Although it was not a good fantasy, so It probably was not much of a fantasy at all huh?"

"Well why don't you tell me about it?" Dr. Bliss says as she grabs out a notebook and a pencil.

"I don't even know where to start." Helga remembers her last talk with Dr. Bliss, when she finally declared her love for Arnold. That Helga would have given anything not to share a word to a therapist. But she was determined to be a new Helga and to do that she had to just get right to the point. Besides, the barrier between them was basically diminished during the last session.

"Well, why don't we start at the beginning? Tell me more about your family." Dr. Bliss comments as she crosses her legs. She lays the notebook against her thigh and holds the pencil against the paper, ready to write.

"Well I think I told you once about my blowhard dad and my perfect sister…" Helga says. She pauses in order to wait for some sort of response to tell her that she's not insane. When Dr. Bliss nods, Helga feels more relaxed and comforted to tell her anything. "Well Olga came back from Alaska again. Of course, she's just winning over my parents by giving them some sort of trophy she won for ice sculpting or whatever. Now that I think of it, I saw my parents today and they're nothing like I remember them being."

"Okay Helga, I hope you don't mind but I wanted to give you my views of why I think your parents are so different in what you explained as your 'fantasy' world."

"Go ahead. I'm listening." Helga leans back in the Freudian-like chair. Her hands are tucked behind her head and her legs are crossed on the edge of the seat.

"After hearing your story months ago, I went and asked your parents what they said happened that morning. My conclusion is that when you were four you saw the world quite differently then you normally would. At that age your brain is not fully functioning. In fact your brain is still forming as we speak. Combined with sibling rivalry, I think that just about everything you imagined about your family had to do with the attention that parents commonly give to first-borns. Olga is about ten or eleven years older than you. She wasn't used to sharing the attention with another child. Your parents were just trying to calm her down and complement her like usual. She may not have been the best piano player, but you were only four at the time, the fact that she could even play at all impressed you." Dr. Bliss reads off of a paper. _Wow she must take a lot of notes, _Helga thinks to herself. She then switches her thoughts to what Dr. Bliss had described. The idea that her precious sister Olga could be nothing more than an ordinary kid, somehow brought her joy.

"What about my parents?" Helga asks. "You can't possibly think for one moment that I just imagined my father's rage and my mother's lack of sobriety."

"Well I don't think that they are as bad as you have come to think. Your dad owns a beeper emporium. He often has to deal with many angry customers. It is only natural for him to come home and not be in the best of moods. It's the same with your mom. She comes home tired after long hours at work. She's not always herself when she takes care of you. I don't think that it's fair how they treated you. They should have been there for you and not just for your sister."

"My mom doesn't have a job." Helga corrects her.

"No, but she is the one who takes care of the house and tries to make sure that everything was okay for you two girls. And actually I have it written down here that she was attending night school when you were really little. That may have something to do with it."

Helga thinks deeply about everything that has been said. With every minute she thinks deeper and deeper until finally she gets a headache. She takes her hands and puts them on the sides of her head.

"It is a lot to sink in." Dr. Bliss states. "Maybe we should end this today and continue later." Dr. Bliss starts to pack up her things.

"Wait, no." Helga says jumping up from her couch. "I want to go back to school. We haven't covered anything that could clear me for it."

"Well you seem fine to me. I think you should be okay to go back as long as you come in for check-ups. The first one should be on Thursday and we will continue them on Tuesdays and Thursdays." Dr. Bliss states. Helga smiles widely. "We just need someone to come in and give you a placement test. You seem oddly intelligent for someone who has been through what you have been through. Who knows, maybe you'll even be able to be in the same grade as your preschool classmates."

Helga, who is overcome with joy, hugs Dr. Bliss. Oh what she wouldn't give to be near Arnold again.


End file.
